Modern Horror Movies Get Amazing Retro VHS Covers

There was something about buying a VHS that didn’t translate into DVD that I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the difference between a big chunk of film that was hugged tightly by a jacket instead of a slim disc with a ton of empty space around it. I don’t know…

But what I do know is that VHS cover art was, quite often, absolutely incredible! And artist Chris MacGibbon has taken multiple modern horror movies and given them that same treatment in an Imgur gallery that you can see below. There are covers for films like The Collector, Trick R Treat, The Strangers, and more!

Great designs. I feel the Trick ‘R Treat one could have been better. The Evil Dead one is my favorite.

Darkness69

Yeah, The Evil Dead is the best in my opinion as well.

Tom Gibson

That’s pretty much the way Warner Bros. clamshell covers looked. The title was a serif font above an image.

Dr. Rotz

I’m not saying it’s not accurate, it’s just not that exciting as compared to the other covers. They could’ve picked a better image is all I’m saying.

Niki Howard

Want!

OceanSlaughter

Did this get anyone else’s dick hard? cause I got like a half chub going on.

crizero

The 70’s called they want their covers back.

Taboo

Those are some really cool covers.

Trisha Tachanawa

I want to go watch The Strangers now lol

https://www.facebook.com/skullshockcreative Skullshock

These are perfect. As a kid, my mom always took me to the video store to pick out movies in the summer and I loved the box art. I was always too afraid to see Hellraiser just because of the box art. I would look at, read the back, and ALWAYS just put it back on the shelf!

parsyeb

Fantastic. I think those of us who grew up with video stores had a really unique experience in relation to horror. I can’t imagine the cover for Paranormal Activity haunting me for four years before seeing the film (as with Nightmare on Elm Street pt. 4). But as it was then, you had to pass by the horror aisle to get over to action/adventure or the SNES rack.

I wonder if younger horror aficionados have that intimate relation with cover art. My memories of the tape boxes of those 80s horror classics are as vivid as my first experiences seeing the films (could be also that the cover art game has grown lamer with the years).

Chrissie-Watkins

Yes! I am with you, in that, when I was a kid, we would go as a family to rent a video, and just what I saw on the cover of some horror movie video would creep me out until I begged my parents to let me see it.

Khy

The Strangers is my favorite cover. Well done

Christensen

Title misspelling aside, the Trick ‘r Treat one was kind of lazy.

Christensen

This one was much better

Dr. Rotz

I completely agree. This one is great!

Erebus-Dirge

Not gonna lie, I just jizzed a little . Always said If I ever won the lottery i would set up my own VHS Horror Experience open to the public like an interactive museaum of sorts. Set up like an old video store but with viewing rooms in the back made up like old school living rooms with top loaders and couch, provide complimentary microwave popcorn and nachos etc . Patrons would come in pick their title ( and their free snacks) off the racks then “go home” and watch them.

Vadicta

I hope you won’t force people to rewind the tape–we want the fantasy, not the heartbreaking reality 😛

Kevin Stewart

i have a similar dream/plan except I’m looking for a wealthy girlfriend to marry and fund my project.

Erebus-Dirge

One of the things I liked the most about these old school covers, now and then you would get a synopsis on the back cover that pretty much a highly detailed summary of the entire movie rendering you watching it pointless, always made me laugh. Talk about spoilers!

GrimGrahamFever

the paranormal activity cover looks better then the movie was~!` Evil dead looks terrifying, might be my favorite. Trick ‘r’ Treat my new favorite tradition is to watch that movie on halloween, and of course Halloween.

Adam Miller

The collector cover is bitchin.

Javi Simon

The shot they used for that cover kinda made collector look like the villain from “Cry Wolf.” That movie sucked compared to “The Collector” though.

Adam Miller

Hells bells. That didn’t occur to me till you said it but you’re right. Still cool cuz I loved the collector.

Javi Simon

Yea, Collector and Collection ruled. I had forgotten all about “Cry Wolf” until a friend and I saw a trailer for it while watching horror trailers on You Tube and it popped up on a playlist. Ironically, we decided to do this after watching a VHS tape recording lol.

Jacob Axe

Maybe it’s just me, but this feels like a missed opportunity to give “found footage” horror movies like Quarantine and V/H/S (lol) a box.

Vadicta

He definitely nailed the look, though I don’t think most of the cover art for VHSs, DVDs, video games, or books is ever really eye-catching or well put together.

Eric Robert Wilkinson

How about MAY or MARTYRS or even HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (though I think that HAD a VHS release)?

I’m kind of blown away that these have resurfaced! I did these a year ago and I never thought I’d hear about them again. Very awesome. If anyone wants to check out more of my work, please feel free to visit my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/CMacCustomDesigns

James Allard

Well, thanks for the love of the genre. The Trick r Treat one really needs to be considered as a mini-poster.

Evan3

While I enjoyed these, I very much wish he would have done these in the beautiful and often batshit insane artwork that adorned the covers of many VHS jackets.

Horror Raven

I kinda miss browsing the old Blockbuster and local rental store by my house and just grabbing a film based on it’s VHS box-art. Love The Strangers one!

Derek Behrends

Reminds me of my childhood when I would look at the vhs rental covers while my mom and dad checked out. Of course I was always fascinated by the horror ones. This warms my heart, and I miss it so much.